Human Powered Light Bulb

Turn your body’s natural static charge. You can generate enough static to light up this little bulb. Feet dragging is required!

How do you make it Work?

Hold one of the wires and walk around a darkened room, dragging your feet on the carpet. This will build up a static charge discharged through the light bulb. If you can’t generate enough static to get a small shock when you touch something metal, the bulb won’t work. If you have trouble generating a charge on your body, try rubbing a balloon on your hair or sweater or wait for a less humid day.

What’s Happening?

Your static electricity has a huge amount of free electrons desperately seeking partners of the opposite charge. The charge on your body can be in excess of 10,00 volts, but since the amperage (defined as the power of electricity to do work) is so small, all you feel is a tiny shock when you ground yourself against a metal object. Note that you don’t get a shock (or if you do, it will be a small one) if you hold the bulb in your hand because the bulb is dissipating the static electricity by turning it into visible light and heat.